I have seen many topics on this subject through the years and many opinions on what makes a great teacher. I believe the answer is very individualized and somewhat personal. Some teachers are great technicians and develop wonderful dancers, while others put their focus more on the recreational student. They give these students a wonderful sense of self and create a great future audience who love the art of dance. Both of these teachers are doing a great service not only to the dance world, but also most importantly to their students! That’s why I don’t believe it is really anyone’s place to decide who is a great teacher.

Everyone has his or her own niche. Some love to teach young children, some love to teach more advanced students, some love beginners and others love to teach adults. They are all valuable to the teaching profession. So I believe the key is to decide what is important to you. Are you happy with where you are in your teaching life? Do you want more for yourself and your students? Do you sometimes feel like you are falling behind because you have decided you have limitations?

Depending on what your answers were I think you will see whether or not you really are reaching your full potential as a dance educator. I will say this: I believe that most teachers sell themselves short. You have a lot to give, you have given much and you should know this. If you don’t believe it, then sit down and write out a list of all the wonderful achievements you have helped facilitate in just this past season alone. Great teachers start with a great belief in themselves and a willingness to keep growing and learning. Let’s explore ways to discover more about what makes you tick.

Where does your passion lie?

This is really the key. Some people believe that you need to do it all. Some believe that they have only one style they are good at and do not want to venture out of their comfort zone. Answer this question: What do you want? What would you like to do the most? Do you really love to teach young children? Are you showing your students that you have a passion for what you are teaching? (If you do it will be contagious and your students will love it, too!)

I think that every teacher should take some time over the summer to do some personal evaluation. Angela and I do every year. Review the year and look at how you performed. If you have lost the spark, you need to find ways to get it back or move on to another style, class or level. No matter what level you teach, you must have a passion that is overflowing. The main focus must always be with your students—not how much you got out of the class, but how much they got out of it. The only way to get to this point is to love every minute of it and find that your ultimate joy comes from seeing your student’s development. It doesn’t matter what level they are or how advanced they are, but how much you have impacted them with all the life enhancing benefits they will learn!

How do you get to the next level?

Throughout the years of teaching at teacher training school for Dance Educators of America I have been asked time and time again by teachers how to get their students to the next level. Teachers want to give more and sometimes the students do not want to make the commitment to do more. This can be a frustrating situation for any teacher. Teachers can be hard on themselves and start to think that maybe they are doing something wrong.

Don’t beat yourself up! Like most things in life you have to develop a plan and then have the patience and perseverance to follow it through. First of all, if you want your students to become better, then it is helpful to identify a group who you can see has potential and really has a love of dance. Talk to this group and their parents and see if they want to be part of a select group of students that you have targeted to be involved in a special program. From this you can gauge their interest and get them to take more classes. You now have the makings of a more advanced group that you can groom to perform in a certain way. This is an ongoing process, a journey with no final destination. As your students grow, so will you!

How do you keep yourself and your students motivated?

This is one of the biggest drivers to having personal success as a teacher. It is a challenge if you teach all levels and styles. If you feel like you are in a rut, chances are you are in a rut. Whether you teach recreational or advanced students you will face this challenge. With recreational students you will face the hurdle of coming up with new material that is fun, within their scope but challenging.

Remember you must always create that sense of advancement. If a student does not feel like they are improving, then the seeds of dissatisfaction are going to be planted. With more advanced students you will need to continue to challenge them in new ways. You will need to give them a fresh supply of new techniques, new styles and new ideas to explore. You may even find that these students become petulant and a bit jaded at times. Don’t take it personally— this is when you have to dig in and push them to reach out of their comfort zone. It also means that you will have to as well! Teachers who know how to learn know how to teach.

Try this: Look at different styles and explore new movement and ways to teach that movement. I have found that any type of dance that is very different from what I teach, like Folkloric, Latin, Ballroom or anything else you can think of, will help you find something that you can put your own twist on. Despite what anyone says, there really is no 'new' movement, just variations on something that has been already done. What’s new is when an artist takes it to the next level because of a desire to branch out on his or her own and challenge himself or herself to do more. This self-exploration will be like a breath of fresh air to you. You will be excited to share this new movement with your students. Don’t worry if at first there is some resistance by your students to this new way of doing things. They will find your enthusiasm refreshing and before you know it you will be in that joyous zone of seeing a transformation take place not only in your students, but in yourself as well!